The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-02-27
ARMY AND NAVY NOTES.
From the Army land Navy
Register, February 10Th.

daughter was born yesterday
morning 10 Captain and Mrs. A. ".
Greely. at Washington, u. y.
TIE Missouri legislature by refusing
necessary appropriations for the militia
! of the estate has precipltated a serious
crisis there. Such action points clearly
to the necessity OF the maintenance OF
strong regular force as the real military
reliance for the country.
In the Army and Nary Magazine Lion
DOM, for February, is short artlcle on
West Point Academy" by henry
Na1dley. Like all foreign writers, TINS
gentleman was astonished at the Tlgor.
the discipline and the thoroughness
that pervades our Academy. He ends
country so rich, offering so many
promising fields OF enterprise to an In
telligent and energetic youth, candl-
dates were to be found willing to under
go so severe training for an army IN
which promotion must at best be but
slow and the prospects of distinction
remote"
The action OF the President in send
ing to the Senate the name of Captain
Adolphus w. Greedy to be Chief Signal
Officer of the Army, with the rank OF
brigadier general, in succession TO the
late General w. B. Hazen, was a sur
prise in army circles. The motives of
the P Presidents action, however, are
not difficult to discern. The question
of the separation of the Weather
B lreau from the Signal Office, it is ap-
parent, is not likely to have the con-
sideration which i, requires from Con-
gress at the present session, and ey'
were that determined upon the office OF
Chief signal Officer would still exist,
and could not be left in allegiance. The
business of the Office involving the ex-
penditure OF hundreds OF thousands of
] dollars of money and the direction Of
very extensive organization requires the
| immediate and authoritative super
vision of a person competent to exercise
such authority. The President and
the Secretary of War regarded Captain
Greedy as the man best fitted 10 carry
on this work under the present circum-
stances, and accordingly his nomina-
ton was sent to the Senate. To the
older officers of the Army 1t will seem
anomalous that so high grade should
be gwen to an officer who has only
reached the rank of captain by regular
promotion. On the other hand, it is
well known that if Captain Greedy had
received any recognition whatever at
the hands OF Congress for his Arctic
work he would have probably been
given the RANK of colonel. 1t must be
admitted that the last experiment in
taking for a Chief Signal Officer an
officer of the line who had had no
special experience in the direction of
the duties he was called upon to per
form was not regarded as success by
l. L., Nf4 nd hn
cipal fruit Ct his efforts at command
was to induce a general belief that the
duties of the weather service should
be entirely separated from the admins
tration of the army. There were,
therefore several strong reasons for
the selection of Captain Greely for this
marked honor. We have before stated
our belief that if the work of the Signal
Office was to be carried on according to
the present plan he was the man best
lifted for the place and whose appoint
ment would be the most proper one to
be made.
Fort DU CHEsNE, February 5-What-
ever advantage other posts in the
department may have over US in re
gard to trees, walks, gardens and other
things, we have the advantage of them
in sand storms-nt ne of your pretty
little dust storms that collect on the
streets, whirls itself around five or six
times, runs down the garden fence
carrying away the weeks washing and
landing it on top some other man s
house and then away for ever, but a
genuine old fashioned sand storm. 1t
begins about 2 80 o'clock with a gentle
breeze from the west. carrying
with it that nice fine dust that
finds its way into your mouth, eyes,
down your back and into every opening
and crevice in your clothing. 1t keeps
this up for about two hours, increasing
its force about o'clock, when the sand
begins to fly with an occasional sage
brush and little before sundoTn the
climax is reached; it seems to have col
lected all wind in the Territory when it
hurls dust, sand, sagebrush and rocks
all at the same time and as if it had
completed its task sinks to rest with
the sun to gather fresh powers
for tomorrow . Colonel Fletcher
and the other off GERS en- route
here to sit on the Benteen
court martial will arrive this week.
This case has assumed importance in
military circles because, in measure,
Major Benteen has appealed directly
or through friends, to General Bragg.
chairman of the military committee of
the House, says the Sturgis Record. 1t
Is supposed that, through him, General
Absalom Baird, inspector general of
the army, was sent from Washington
to investigate. The counter charges
are vaguely indicated as involving Mr..
Jewett, the post trader at Fort
Du ChesDe, for alleged irregularities in
his Fort Niobrara. Nebraska, building
contracts of last year. Your cor
respondent has assurance from
the best authority that there
is nothing compromising to Mr..
Jewett's business integrity in
any degree, and that General Bragg's
informant - has misapprehended the
situation. The charges against Major
Benteen are preferred bv his com
handing officer, General Hatch. com
manding the Ninth Cavalry The
nature of the charges is not made
public, and cannot be ascertained until
published to the court. An officer in
reply to an inquiry oa this point. ha.
stated that 1t IS most likely. a case OF
regimeDtal discipline, and does not in